Uncommon Knowledge: Do birds use GPS?

Migrating birds make some extraordinary journeys—up to 40,000 miles round trip, in the case of the arctic tern. How do they know where they’re going on such a long flight? They don’t have satellite directions, but they may in fact have a more efficient global positioning system: the earth’s magnetic fields. There are specialized compounds in the eyes, brains, and even the bills of migrating birds that help them sense those invisible forces, giving them a built in compass. Not only that, scientists have recently hypothesized that these birds take advantage of “quantum entanglement,” an effect where molecules are mysterious linked together, no matter how far apart they are. Specifically, they are studying a molecule in avian eyes called cryptochrome. It’s possible that the quantum entanglement of that molecule may allow birds to actually see earth’s magnetic fields in color, giving them intangible landmarks by which to navigate, and making a true “bird’s eye view” something that we humans may never comprehend.

Nathan is a copywriter, who helps create our product descriptions as well as our weekly emails. He is also a nationally award-winning musical theater writer, whose work includes an adaptation of Lois Lowry’s novel The Giver. Nathan has also been a classical violinist, tutored Kazakhstani jewelers in entrepreneurship, created large-scale games played across entire city blocks, served as a missionary in South Korea, conducted experiments in sonoluminescence, co-founded an exotic fruit-growing business, was a theater critic for Tucson Weekly, and as a teenager composed a women’s jazz quartet that is currently performed around the world.

Shattered Glass, Shining Art
How do shards of colored glass become beautiful, illuminated mini-mosaics? Vawn and Mike Gray answer that question with this video taking us through their step-by-step process.

Instagram Challenge: ARCHITECTURE
Nothing makes us more excited than beautiful craftsmanship. Share with us your favorite architectural designs for the chance to win a $50 gift card! Be sure to use the hashtag #UGInstaFun to enter your most wow-worthy photo.

Sometime around 1650, French jeweler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier emerged from the Indian subcontinent with an exceptionally large, brilliant blue diamond. It was whispered that he had stolen it from the eye…